His new job as director of earthquake safety will be to implement a 30-year plan to reduce the city’s most dangerous risks in a future earthquake, including retrofitting soft-story buildings, private schools and some concrete buildings. The position pays between $108,000 and $138,000 a year.

“We need to make sure San Francisco can rapidly respond and recover quickly after the next earthquake,” Lee said in a statement announcing the appointment. “That means preparing ourselves in city government, training and educating our residents and making sure our buildings are built and retrofit to the highest seismic standards.”

Otellini was a senior associate at A.R. Sanchez-Corea & Associates, or ARS, a building permit consulting firm that has handled major projects in the city. Otellini’s dozens of clients include permit work at the Westfield Center and for the Academy of Art University, according to Department of Building Inspection records.

Kelly said Otellini’s passion for earthquake safety and his private sector experience will be an asset as the city moves forward on seismic initiatives for private buildings. The issue of potentially mandatory retrofits is particularly contentious for some building owners because of the cost, although proponents say some relatively cheap steps like bracing garage door frames and natural gas-fired water heaters could be implemented quickly and make a major difference in a quake.

“He has that private experience and would be able to outreach to the private sector,” Kelly said. “He understands the entitlement process and inspection process, and he’ll be able to help people get their buildings retrofitted.”

Building Inspection Commissioner Debra Walker, who has been an outspoken critic of the mayor recently, was more cautious about the appointment.

“It always raises a concern when someone from the industry is put in charge of making sure we create and enforce a successful seismic upgrade policy,” Walker said. “It could work both ways. … He has an expertise around getting permits and what is required, so it could work in a positive way.”